Ponca's Beginnings
Mr. Mactier founded the North Hills Hunt in Omaha in 1965. Picture here with Huntsman Darrel Hammer in Tekamah country.
Established in 1964 by J. Allan and Ann Mactier, Ponca Hills Farm was conceived with the idea that living in the Midwest shouldn't preclude riders from competing on show circuits long dominated by the coasts. The Mactier's built the first indoor riding arena in Nebraska, and designed a spacious heated barn that would allow horses and riders to continue schooling through cold Nebraska winters.
Jan aboard Icarus at the Desert Sun Series, 1975.
Ponca-owned, Christopher Robin, with Frank Chapot in Dinard, France 1972, in training for the Munich games.
Over the years, many Hunter/Jumper champions were produced at Ponca, showing under the farm's sky blue and grass green colors at Devon, Harrisburg, Madison Square Garden, the Washington International, and Palm Beach. In 1972 Jan's champion {A/O} Jumper, Christopher Robin, was selected for the Olympic Show Jumping team, and shipped to Munich with William Steinkraus.
Ponca's racing days: A Ponca-brd Delectable Duchess crosses the finish line at Churchill Downs.
Sonic Lady heads to the paddock at Santa Anita in 1986.
In the 70's and 80's, a night out in Omaha was likely to include dinner at one of a dozen packed steakhouses, and an evening of thoroughbred racing at Aksarben. The opportunity to cheer ones bloodstock across the finish a few miles from home inspired J. Allan Mactier to breed sales yearlings, and enter his horses in races at Aksarben and Churchill Downs. His Nureyev filly, Sonic Lady, sold in 1984 at Fasig-Tipton to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai. Sonic Lady went on to be named European Filly of the Year in 1986.
Host to the National Pony Club Rally
Seeing an opportunity to help children interested in learning about horses, Ann Mactier founded the Omaha chapter of Pony Club, offering Ponca Hills Farm as a meeting place and learning center. Ponca became the site of regional rallies, and was selected as the National Rally Site in 1973. In preparation, former USEF Eventing chef-d'equipe Jack LeGoff designed the competition course, taking advantage of Ponca's steep hills, open meadows and woodlands.
Left: Ann Mactier. Right: LeGoff's triple combination through the woods; part of the original course.
Today, many of LeGoff's original fences have been refurbished, and the course continues to expand. Over 50 elements, including banks and water complexes, comprise three courses with options from beginner novice to preliminary.
George Morris and Ponca
As Jan Mactier rose through the ranks of amateur riders in the 1970's and 1980's, she began training with George Morris.
Kris Kapplar, Jan Mectier and George Morris with Hastings, a Ponca-bred Galouber hunter.
Right: Top hunter trainer and frquent Ponca clinician, Archie Cox.
Morris, current USEF Show Jumping chef d'equipe, made a lasting impact on Jan's riding philosophy and on Ponca Hills Farm itself. Although Jan retired from competition in 1985, capping her career with many A/O Jumper championships, Morris continued to visit Ponca as a clinician. His student and West Coast protege Karen Heally took over for several years when Morris became much in demand at the international level. In the late '90s, Heally's then assistant Archie Cox came as a last minute fill-in, and was an instant hit with students. He's since become one of the most in demand Hunter/Jumper trainers in the country. Participants haul in to Ponca from Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas for the opportunity to ride with Cox, who continues to build on George Morris' exacting standards. In addition to Archie Cox, Ponca has hosted many luminaries from the Hunter/Jumper, Dressage and Eventing disciplines, including Gordon Wright, Melanie Smith, Jim Wofford, Michael Paige, Christine Bachman, Lowell Boomer, Thady Ryan, Jim Graham and Benjamin Lundquist.
Ponca Today
Left: Jan Mactier gives the next generation of riders a lift in the pony cart.
Right: Dr. Susan MacQuiddy, an active venter at Ponca, sends Oliver up a bank.
Honoring the memory of J. Allan Mactier, Ann Mactier and Jan Mactier Moriarty continue to realize his vision for the farm. Under Jan's sole guidance since 2004 Ponca remains a busy show barn with 36 boarders who compete in Hunter/Jumpers, Eventing and Dressage. The Ponca School Program teaches aspiring equestrians to ride in a safe and structured environment. Frequent schooling shows and clinics draw advanced riders from surrounding states. Ponca Hills Farm Summer Camp, established by Ann Mactier in 1965 continues to offer education, riding instruction and fun to dozens of area youth every June and July.
